When requesting amendments
for your 21st CCLC grant:
the request should be
submitted and approved
before the expenditures are
made. The reasoning
behind this is, if you
have already expended
the funds and you submit
an amendment and it is
not approved, the funds
would have to be returned
to the State. When
requesting an amendment
please remember that the
costs must be reasonable and
necessary to support your
21st CCLC grant.

Mark Gageby is a management analyst for the South Dakota Department of Education and oversees funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant program.

Resource Corner:

TumbleReadables.com is an
online collection of
read-along titles for elementary,
middle and high school
students which features
adjustable online text and
complete audio narration.
Some of the selections
even have lesson plans and
quizzes to go along with
the book. Normally there
is a charge to access this service,
but it is free from the Brookings
Public Library. Click here to
access the library, and
and scroll down to the purple
box in the middle of the page.

Why it’s successful
The Jones County program started in 2001. Director Stacey Booth says the collaboration between the school and the 21st CCLC program allows it to be as successful as it’s been. She also credits the high quality staff which includes certified teachers, daily school aides, nurses and high school students. Through the program, Stacey encourages kids to be successful in every aspect of their lives and to know the staff is there to help do whatever they can to make that happen.

They have fun too!
Creating educational, hands-on, engaging activities that include life skills are some of the main goals of the program. They like to see the students get excited and actively involved in learning. Destination Imagination Instant Challenges and science projects are just a couple activities that hit on these goals. Chance, a third grader, comes to the program “because it’s really, really, really fun!”

Fourth-grader Alex says, “I like the teachers and I like to play with the Legos.”

Artist in Residence
Each summer, through the South Dakota Arts Council’s Artists in Schools program, they have either an artist or a theater opportunity for students who attend the summer program. This past summer they hosted Greta Bodegard, a wool artist. She did a weeklong artist in residence program. They also invited the public to attend a session on the last day she was here.

With the recent cuts to arts programs, this is a great opportunity for students to be exposed to many different types of art mediums. Contact the South Dakota Arts Council for more information on the Artist in Residence program.

New This Year
A new opportunity they are providing is “Harvest of the Month.” Each month a new fruit or vegetable will be introduced to the children in their health classes and those activities are then extended to the after-school program. Contact the South Dakota Discovery Center for more information on “Harvest of the Month.”

It’s that time again …

We just wanted to remind everyone that the Fall Reports are due Nov. 18. Please let Sue or Jill know if you have any questions or need another copy.
We are also in the process of scheduling site visits. We will be contacting you as the time approaches.

GF&P Nature Backpack Grant

Game, Fish, and Parks is extending their backpack grant to afterschool and summer programs this year. These would make a great addition to any of your programs.

Go to the GFP website to apply. Deadline to apply is Dec. 15. Recipients will be notified in February 2012. If you have questions about the program contact Emilie Miller or Lynn Spomer at 605-773-3391.

A Big Thank You!

Thanks to all of you who attended the SoDakSACA conference and the Lights On Afterschool event in Mitchell. It was another great conference and we are glad so many of you were able to attend! Hopefully you went home with many new ideas and a renewed sense of worth to continue all of the wonderful things you do for your students.

Garden to Table mini-grants available

Garden to Table mini-grants are now available through Team Nutrition. Programs can receive $500 for student gardening activities designed to promote healthy eating, fruit and vegetable consumption and an active lifestyle. Applications are available online at doe.sd.gov/cans/teamnutrition.asp and are due back to the Department of Education by Dec. 1. Gardening projects must be completed by Dec. 31, 2012.

A Wellness Tip

Here’s a fun outdoor activity perfect for Fall: have the kids create an Outdoor Collage!
Take a bag and scour your local area for leaves, twigs, flowers and anything else suitable for a collage. When you come inside bring out a large sheet of paper or card and some glue and begin making a collage of the things you've collected. Add drawings, paintings and words, developing a theme such as the countryside.